Definition of Localization and Internationalization

Localization is the process of adapting a product to meet the language, cultural, and other requirements of a specific target environment or market so that users can use their own languages and conventions when using the product. Translation of the user interface, system messages, and documentation is part of localization.
Internationalization is the process of designing a software application without making assumptions that are based on a single language or locale. One goal of internationalization is to ensure that international conventions, including rules for sorting strings and for formatting dates, times, numbers, and currencies, are supported. Another goal is to design the product to have a consistent look, feel, and functionality across different language editions.
Although the application logic might support cultural conventions (for example, the monetary and numeric formats of a particular region), only a localized version of the software presents user interfaces and system messages in the local language.
SAS NLS features are available for localizing and internationalizing your SAS applications.